Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3239: Chapter 3240: The Evil Witch’s Eye

If you asked Angel which kind of energy aura is the easiest to distinguish, his answer, without a doubt, would be: Mysterious Aura.

The feeling that Mysterious Aura gives is absolutely unique—filled with the unknown and impossible to pry into—and it is also the energy aura with the strongest ”sense of presence”!

This ”sense of presence” can be understood as a kind of boundless transmissibility.

If it is not deliberately concealed, even separated by hundreds of miles one can easily perceive Mysterious Aura.

And from the side door of the row house that had just been opened, the energy aura spilling out was precisely... Mysterious Aura!

This Mysterious Aura was very faint, clearly suppressed; but its ”sense of presence” was too sharp. Even diluted countless times, Angel still captured that exceedingly uncanny aura at the very first instant.

”There’s a Mysterious Object inside?” Not only Angel could feel it, the others present could as well, and they all turned their heads to look.

Pi Li: ”Inside here...”

Pi Li had just opened her mouth when that Door, whose crack had only just been parted, was pushed fully open. A Crystal Eye Clan member stepped out from within, his gaze turbid and his face faintly weathered. Behind this Crystal Eye clansman followed a squad of fully armed Crystal Eye guards in crystal shell armor.

The Crystal Eye guards protected that weathered Crystal Eye clansman, quickly heading out of the alley.

As this group of Crystal Eye people passed by them, Angel’s gaze instinctively fell on that weathered Crystal Eye clansman.

Because the aura on the other Crystal Eye guards was perfectly normal, but the one being protected in the middle had a faint Mysterious Aura drifting over his body, making him seem completely out of place among those around him.

This Mysterious Aura and the one that had emanated from within the side door were, judging from the fluctuations, of the same lineage.

However, based on Angel’s years of experience dealing with Mysterious Objects, the Mysterious Aura clinging to him was of the rootless-floating-duckweed type.

Meaning, the Mysterious Object was not actually on his person, but he had definitely come into contact with a Mysterious Object.

Under everyone’s gaze, this team of Crystal Eye people slowly disappeared from sight.

Luigi: ”Those Crystal Eye people just now... were they the ones here for the negotiations?”

Pi Li nodded: ”Yes.”

Luigi muttered: ”Negotiations, and somehow in the middle of negotiating they ended up using a Mysterious Object? Is it a Mysterious Object belonging to the Pi Luoxiu Clan?”

Pi Li gave a dry little laugh and said nothing. It wasn’t that she was unwilling to answer, but matters concerning the secrecy of Mysterious Objects could only be spoken of by the Pika Sage.

Her authority was far from enough to comment on this matter.

Still, although Pi Li did not answer, her reaction basically confirmed: the Mysterious Object was, in all likelihood, owned by the Pi Luoxiu Clan.

Glaipnir, feeling the Mysterious Aura in the air that had not yet dissipated, seemed to think of something: ”A Pi Luoxiu Mysterious Object? Could it be that Mysterious Object?”

”That one? Which one?” Luigi heard Glaipnir’s murmur and asked in puzzlement, ”I go to Pipi Castle all the time, how come I don’t know about it?”

Glaipnir shot Luigi a cold look: ”When you go to Pipi Castle, do you really go to the ’castle’?”

Luigi scratched his head: ”Well, no.”

The ”castle” in Pipi Castle referred to the castle where Duke Pishu resided, a place similar to the Empire’s royal court.

Though Luigi had visited Pipi Castle many times, he truly had never been to the ”castle”. Each time he went there he only looked for Baba Ragon; as for the other members of the Pi Luoxiu Clan, he didn’t pay much attention.

Luigi: ”So what you mean is, this Mysterious Object comes from Duke Pishu?”

Glaipnir nodded: ”If it’s the Mysterious Object I’m thinking of, then yes, it is under Duke Pishu’s management.”

”So what exactly is this Mysterious Object?” Luigi couldn’t help asking.

Glaipnir pondered for a moment: ”Eyes.”

Eyes? Luigi and Angel both looked at Glaipnir in confusion. Was she saying the Mysterious Object was eyes? Living ones? Or some kind of eye-shaped artifact?

Just as Luigi was about to press further, a voice drifted out from the opened side door of the row house: ”There aren’t many who know of the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye. I was wondering who would be coming—so it’s you, Astrologer... welcome, Your Excellency.”

”Equally welcome are Luigi, and these two friends.”

Angel, who had been lumped into ”these two friends”, quietly looked toward the side door, where a Red Skin Pippi with an aged face and a long white beard stepped out.

He stood calmly at the doorway, smiling in greeting to everyone.

Although this Pi Luoxiu looked quite old, he was nevertheless the most kindly-faced Pi Luoxiu Angel had seen so far. Even though he likewise had no nose bridge, the placement of his features, the wrinkles on his skin, and even the position of that white beard all combined to make him look benevolent and amiable.

Moreover, while his eyes were also marked by age, they were much brighter than those of the Crystal Eye clansman just now.

An elegant scholar’s temperament naturally emanated from him.

”My Lord Sage.” The moment Pi Li saw the newcomer, she bowed in salute.

Sage? From Pi Li’s address, this person should be the Sage of the Pi Luoxiu Clan, the Great Scholar revered by all Pi Luoxiu scholars—Pika.

Understanding flashed through Angel’s eyes... So that’s why.

The impression he gave was indeed different from other Pi Luoxiu. If one factored in the identity of the Pika Sage, it all became quite reasonable.

The identity of the Pika Sage did not particularly surprise Angel; after all, the person they had come to meet this time was precisely the Pika Sage, so encountering him here was only natural.

What actually surprised Angel a little were some trivial details. For instance... so Pi Luoxiu grow white beards too?

He had thought that Red Skin and Green Pippi Luoxiu would have beards of other colors.

Angel’s thoughts were already running off-track.

At that moment, the voice of the Pika Sage cut through his wandering thoughts.

The Pika Sage first glanced at Pi Li: ”Pi Li, thank you for making the trip. You can go back and rest now, I’ll take it from here.”

Pi Li, of course, had no objections. She nodded, then offered the half-bow salute of the Pi Luoxiu to the group, and gracefully withdrew.

Only after Pi Li had departed did the Pika Sage turn and say to the others, ”Everyone, sorry to have kept you waiting. This way, please.”

The Pika Sage gestured toward the side door behind him.

Luigi: ”Aren’t we going in through the main door? How did it end up being this place?”

The Pika Sage was clearly very familiar with Luigi and paid no mind to his blunt way of speaking. Instead, he answered with a smile: ”Although Astrologer has heard of the ’Evil Sorcerer’s Eye’, I’m guessing... given your personality, Luigi, you wouldn’t be satisfied with only learning about this Mysterious Object through other people’s descriptions, would you? Since the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye has already been brought to the gathering, it’s going to be shown anyway.”

In other words, you’re curious about the Evil Sorcerer’s Eye, aren’t you? Then I’ll take you to see it.

Luigi: ”I am indeed very curious, but what I’m even more curious about is—how does Duke Pishu dare to bring a Mysterious Object to a gathering?”

If the Mysterious Object were still in Pipi Castle, that would be fine. Pipi Castle has enough firepower, and with the Thunderous Eye, it can protect the Mysterious Object very well.

But now the Mysterious Object has been brought out, and an individual Pirush isn’t that strong. How could they possibly protect the Mysterious Object properly?

Why would Duke Pishu take such a huge risk and bring the Mysterious Object out?

Pika Sage gave a mysterious smile and didn’t answer.

Instead, Glaipnir said softly, ”The Evil Witch’s Eye is a bit special...”

Luigi: ”Special? In what way?”

”From the standpoint of the cost of taking it, the price you pay to seize the Evil Witch’s Eye and the benefits you gain aren’t really proportional.” This time it was Pika Sage speaking: ”And in fact, the risk is not as great as you might imagine.”

”The leaders of all the major races are almost all aware of the Evil Witch’s Eye. The Crystal Eye Clan knows as well. In this gathering we’re jointly hosting with the Crystal Eye Clan, they’ve agreed to use the ’Spirit’ to conceal the aura of the Evil Witch’s Eye; it won’t attract too much attention.”

”Spirit? Sage, do you mean the Giant City Spirit?” Angel asked.

Pika Sage sized Angel up, then lightly nodded. ”That’s right, the Giant City Spirit. And you... friend, you know about the Giant City Spirit?”

You had to know that the Giant City Spirit was classified information; even some leaders of powerful races didn’t know it existed.

After all, if they knew Ring Fort was under the surveillance of a Giant City Spirit, it would feel... off.

Angel pointed at himself and gave a simple introduction: ”You can call me Angel, Sage. I’m a friend of La... Luigi.”

”As for the Giant City Spirit, we previously went to the Hundred-Dragon Divine Kingdom’s outpost. It was the Mirror Dragons who told us about it.”

For the Mirror Dragon Clan of the Hundred-Dragon Divine Kingdom, it was normal to know of the Giant City Spirit. But the fact they were willing to speak of it—now that was unusual.

Pika Sage quietly swept his gaze across everyone, then said nothing. Smiling with narrowed eyes, he gestured for them to enter the house first.

Led by Pika Sage, they entered the side room.

The moment he stepped inside, Angel perceived an intense Mysterious Aura. It curled through every corner of the room, its presence so strong it was terrifying.

And this Mysterious Aura didn’t come from nowhere; it meant the Mysterious Object was in this very room.

But because the aura was too dense, even Angel wasn’t able to locate the Mysterious Object right away.

Looking around, the room was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside.

A thickly padded cloth sofa, little sun-shaped cushions stitched with dense seams, a carpet edged with plush trim, a fireplace burning fiercely at the side, and a foot-warmer keeping the red tea hot.

The overall furnishings of the room gave Angel a sense of secure warmth.

Like a traveler lost in the Cold Winter Forest who suddenly arrives at a Hunter’s Hut—the warmth there would make a stray wanderer feel immeasurably safe.

Only, aside from that dense warmth, Angel didn’t find anything in the room that seemed related to a Mysterious Object.

Earlier, Glaipnir had mentioned that the Mysterious Object was ”eyes.”

Pika Sage had also said that the Mysterious Object’s name was the ”Evil Witch’s Eye.”

Because of these clues, Angel had intentionally focused on things with ”eyes” while searching, but whether it was patterns, furnishings, or even decorative motifs, he didn’t find anything that had to do with eyes.

Was this so-called ”Evil Witch’s Eye” really here?

While Angel was puzzling over this, Pika Sage gave him the answer.

”Earlier, Astrologer had said that the Evil Witch’s Eye is very special. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the Evil Witch’s Eye is not a dead object, but a living one. It is a single eye, bound together with a Pirush.”

”And the Pirush who possesses the ’Evil Witch’s Eye’ just used it once for the Crystal Eye Clan’s Elder. To maintain balance, he needs to go into ’retreat’ for a while.”

Pika Sage pointed to the staircase on one side of the room.

The stairway wound upward, leading to the second floor of the house.

”He’s currently upstairs ’in retreat’. Going by past experience, he should finish his recovery fairly soon.” Pika Sage said this, then looked at Luigi. ”Don’t worry, I promise I’ll let you see the Evil Witch’s Eye before you leave.”

Luigi had also been looking for the Evil Witch’s Eye. Now that he’d learned the Evil Witch’s Eye was bound to a Pirush, he finally withdrew his gaze dispiritedly.

Angel, however, froze for a moment when he heard of the connection between the Evil Witch’s Eye and a Pirush.

A living thing? Bound?

Pika Sage’s choice of words was very subtle. Was the Evil Witch’s Eye controlled by that Pirush, or had it already fused completely with that Pirush?

Angel had never seen a living Mysterious Object before, but he’d heard of many.

For example, the Calamity Puppet Hulifa was classified as a ”living” Mysterious Object.

And previously, from the parrot, he had obtained a piece of occult intelligence: the ”unknown smooth arm,” which was also a ”living” Mysterious Object.

Although both of these Mysterious Objects were ”alive” in nature, there was no doubt that the latter was more sought after by the world.

Because an arm—put bluntly—is an organ.

According to Culori’s records, as long as certain conditions are met, living occult organs can be transplanted.

And once the transplant succeeds, it means the Mysterious Object has entered a ”Only-Me State.” To put it more plainly, it has become—bound to an owner.

By the same logic, the Evil Witch’s Eye also falls under the category of living occult organs.

If the Evil Witch’s Eye being ”bound” to a Pirush means that the organ has been transplanted, then that signifies owner-recognition.

With a bound Mysterious Object, it becomes extremely difficult for anyone else to take it.

Not that it’s impossible to seize, but the cost would be unimaginably horrific.

Like Frost’s ”Dark Melody,” which is also a Mysterious Object in an Only-Me State. If someone were to kill Frost and take the Dark Melody, the first consequence they’d face would be... going out of control.

The effect of the Dark Melody is to condense the Negative Energy within the body and forcibly give birth to an extreme evil persona. And that is the effect while it’s under Frost’s control.

Once it loses control, the effects of the Dark Melody will proliferate wildly; what kind of aftermath that would produce is impossible to predict.

If extreme evil personas were allowed to multiply without limit and without any boundaries, the disasters they caused might not be any weaker than Hulifa’s.

So very few people try to snatch a Mysterious Object in the Only-Me State.

In other words, if what Pika Sage calls ”binding” is actually an Only-Me State, then that Pirush is safer than anyone. No one wants to bear the consequences of a Mysterious Object going out of control.

Perhaps this is also why Duke Pishu dares to have Pika Sage bring the Mysterious Object to the gathering?